Batting

The Belmont Abbey softball team closed out the Cougar Classic with a pair of losses, dropping the opener to Georgia College 6-2 and falling to Columbus State 13-1 in the nightcap.

The Crusasders are now 3-8 on the year and will welcome Catawba to Crusader Field Wednesday beginning at 1:00 p.m.

In the first game of the day, against Georgia College, the Crusaders were the designated home team as they moved ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the first on Sloane McPeak's two run shot. It is her fourth homer of the year and was her second round tripper in as many games.

The lead remained 2-1 until the top of the third until Georgia College knotted the game at two as Carly Lewis scored an unearned run on a Crusaders error.

One inning later, Georgia College broke the stalemate with four runs, two of them unearned as the runners came home on a Crusaders error. The four run frame moved the lead to 6-2, which was the final.

Lewis earned the win in the circle for Georgia College as she gave up two unearned runs on McPeak's homer-the only Crusader hit of the game-while striking out nine and walking one. Shannan Mas took the loss after yielding six runs, only three earned, on three hits. She struck out three and walked a pair.

In the final game of the day, against the host team, the Cougars touched Dani Marietta for five unearned runs in the first after the Crusaders were charged with an error on the first batter of the game.

Belmont Abbey plated its run in the bottom of the fourth on Jena Reisanauer's two out homer, a solo shot to left. It was her second homer of the year.

The score remained 5-1 in favor of Columbus State until the top of the seventh when the Cougars exploded for eight runs, seven of them coming with two outs and all seven of those unearned after two Crusader errors.

Marietta, in her first career appearance in the circle, fell to 0-1 after giving up five unearned runs on two hits in an inning of work. She walked two. Cougars starter Taylor Turner, who clubbed a grand slam as part of the eight run seventh, moved her record to 4-0 after holding the Crusaders to one run on three hits, striking out eight in five innings.